All Aboard, Eurovision 2018

Aside from mother's day, mom's birthday, and the mid-year bonus, one of the things that I look forward to every May is the Eurovision Song Contest. I know, I know. I'm Filo, but that doesn't stop me from cheering my favorite countries.

I started watching Eurovision back in 2012. I'll never forget Loreen's Euphoria. Eurovision 2016 was probably the most shocking and controversial year. It was this year when the contest introduced the participation of the audience to vote their favorites through an online app, or through text messaging services. I really thought Dami Im (Australia) would be Oz's first win ever since its first participation in the song contest a year prior. Due to the new voting system, Ukraine stole Australia's limelight, what could've been their first win in Eurovision history. Shit. 

Fast forward this year (because I fuckin' hate last year's competition), Eurovision 2018 is quite different this year. There are more ballad entries than EDM and punk rock. It was a great balance, and this year's competition is way better than last year.

Here are my top five favorites:

1) Sweden (Dance You Off - Benjamin Ingrosso) - Easy favorite. The Swedes always know how to play this game. It's an easy top 5 finish.

2) Germany (You Let Me Walk Alone - Michael Schulte) - A heartwarming song. Honestly, I got teary-eyed the first time I heard this song on YouTube.

3) Norway (That's How You Write A Song - Alexander Rybak) - Rybak is no stranger to Eurovision Song Contest. In 2009, he won the contest. The song's catchy, and to add flair to Rybak's performance, he plays his violin while dancing his heart out. Will Norway win this year's ESC? Most probably.

4) Israel (Toy - Netta) - Israel finally redeemed itself. Their song entry last year was a pure shame.

and the last but defo not the least,

5) Australia (We Got Love - Jessica Mauboy) - This song was composed by DND (the same duo who brought Dami Im's Sound of Silence and Isaiah's Don't Come Easy in ESC) and Jessica herself. Aussies know how to build the hype. When I was in Sydney last March, We Got Love got featured in almost every Australian news channels and radio stations. I got a severe LSS, but I can't complain. The song is actually great! Honestly, I got really nervous while watching her live performance a while ago. Her voice was shaky for the first half of the song, (she was prolly nervous, or overexcited, or both), but she got a good grip on her performance right after. Despite some flat notes, she's still an outstanding performer. She knows how to bring the entire arena closer to her. It's an easy top 10 finish for Australia this year. It may not be as strong as Dami Im's Sound of Silence, but I'm still satisfied with their entry. But who knows? It's also a crowd favorite.